OUR MISSION AND PURPOSE

Our mission in JROTC is to motivate young people to be better citizens. This Program emphasizes character, student achievement, wellness, leadership skills, and diversity as well as providing a more constructive and disciplined learning environment for all of our cadets. Our purpose is to teach citizenship and leadership while instilling self-esteem, teamwork, and discipline. We achieve this by offering a variety of different afterschool teams, training cadets for future leadership positions and providing discipline and structure in their everyday lives. This program, although military based, isn’t all about the military. We use military strategies to help motivate young people to better themselves, prepare for life after high school and learn the historical perspective of military service. Our JROTC program in New Bedford High School is the longest continuously running program in the history of JROTC and has been established since 1881.

MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

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Master Sergeant (Retired) Raymond Como

MSG (R) Como enlisted into the Army National Guard in 1985 and retired in 2012. He held many different MOS's while enlisted during his extensive military career including Fire Finder Radar Operator, Production Recruiter, Fire Support Senior Liaison Sergeant, and Senior Operations Sergeant. His service included a one year deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan in 2010. MSG (R) Como holds an Associates Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College.

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He started working at NBHS as an Army Instructor on February 1, 2012. He is also our Physical Fitness Team and Raider Team Advisor.

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Stephen Bethoney​

Col (R) Bethoney enlisted into the military in 1981 and retired in 2013. He held various positions throughout his military career as Helicopter Simulator Branch Chief, Reconnaissance Air Interdiction Detachment Commander, Helicopter Pilot, Company CDR, Battalion CDR, a State Logistics Officer, and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He graduated from the Massachusetts Military Academy, Bridgewater University with a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management, and Nichols College with a Master’s degree in Business Management.

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He started working at NBHS as a Senior Army Instructor on December 1, 2014. He is also our Marksmanship Team Advisor.

Sergeant First Class (Retired) Gerald Bedard

SFC (R) Bedard enlisted into both the U.S Army from 1984-1989 and the Massachusetts Army National Guard from 1989-2007.Throughout his military career he held many different positions such as Multichannel Transmissions System Operator, Production Recruiter, Military Police, and a Field Artillery NCO. He graduated from Colorado Technical University with a bachelors degree in Business Administration and from Fort Hays State University with a master’s degree in Education.

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He began working at NBHS as an Army Instructor on March 1, 2007. He is also our Academic Leadership Team and Drill Team Advisor.